The Lair of the White Worm (Synopsis)
The Lair of the White Worm was Bram Stoker's twelfth and last novel. This novel, along with The Jewel of Seven Stars, is one of his most famous after Dracula. The novel is a horror story about a giant white snake that transforms itself into a woman. It was first published in the UK in 1911 by William Rider and Son, Limited, London. The book itself is a 324 page (plus 4 pages of advertisements) hardcover with a red cloth cover stamped on the spine and front panel in blind and gold. The 1911 edition contains six color illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith.bramstoker.org,The Lair of the White Worm Synopsis :Note: much of this synopsis relies on [http://www.cosmicdream.com/gutenberg/novels/lairwhiteworm.html Review of 1911 by Laughing Crow, 2015]. The story begins as Adam Salton arrives in England from Australia, his lifelong home, after receiving a letter from his grand-uncle, Richard Salton, now an old gentleman in his eighties. Both are thrilled to meet their only surviving relative, unknown to each other until recently. The two immediately become warm friends, and the elder makes it known, with relief, that he now has a relation to whom he can will his ample estate, Lesser Hill, (not knowing that Adam himself is quite rich). Mr. Salton has tracked the young man through Adam's research and lectures of Roman relics, and the elder is anxious to give his nephew a tour through parts of England with a rich Roman heritage, especially near Salton's own estate, the old kingdom of Mercia. Stoker attempts to excite the reader with Edgar Caswell, the only known living heir to the main estate, Castra Regis, also returning home. Castra Regis has been unoccupied by a Caswell for six generations because of a scandalous quarrel. Stoker does not reveal the cause of the tension, but, the audience is made aware that the Caswells have a reputation for being mean, selfish, and even creepy. When the Saltons arrive home, they are met by Richard's best friend, Sir Nathaniel de Salis from nearby Doom Tower of Derbyshire. Adam and Sir Nathaniel strike up a relationship as warm as that of uncle and nephew. In fact, soon after the book begins, Richard Salton is barely mentioned. All the unraveling of the terrible mysteries hanging over Mercia are undertaken by Adam and Sir Nathaniel, the elder who is an expert in local history. The next day, Sir Nathaniel takes Adam for a walk, explaining the Roman history of the neighboring land and estates, one being Diana's Grove, which had also been known as the Lair of the White Worm, and another called Mercy Farm. On the way to meet the arrival of Edgar Caswell, the two Saltons and Sir Nathaniel happen upon a woman with a broken spring in her carriage. Lady Arabella March, a beautiful but strikingly unusual and mysterious woman dressed in a tight white gown, sweetly laments her unfortunate situation. Adam, who exclaims that he is skilled at mending all such things from his experience in Australia, quickly fixes the problem. Just then, he notices some black snakes near a heap of stones, but before he can kill them, Lady Arabella seems to have charmed them away. Though Lady Arabella seems cordial enough, Adam notes a certain discomfort with her, even when she makes an open invitation to him to visit her estate, Diana's Grove. Presently, they both go their separate ways to meet Edgar Caswell at the ship. Upon meeting him, Adam also has a "feeling of repugnance at the man's face", as well as toward black servant, Oolanga. It is obvious that the goal of Lady Arabella is to capture Caswell—as a move toward financial security because her own estate continues to suffer from increasing, unpayable debt. Later that evening, when all are gathered for the homecoming party at Castra Regis, Adam notes how Lady Arabella clings to Edgar Caswell. He, however, has eyes for a beautiful young lady, Lilla Watford, granddaughter of Michael Watford, a tenant of Caswell who lives at Mercy Farm. Adam is immediately struck with her younger cousin, Mimi, who had been born in Burma when her father was killed in the service. Lilla's father is also deceased, and the two had grown up together as sisters with their grandfather. Adam spends the entire evening with Mimi, and is invited to visit the farm. The visit turns out very upsetting as Caswell also visits Mercy Farm at the same time. Adam notices a terrible, frightening exchange between Edgar and Lilla—which he describes as "a hawk and a pigeon"—a hypnotic effect attempted by the evil man toward the meek lady. It is afterward learned that one of Caswell's ancestors was a student of Mesmer. Meanwhile, Sir Nathaniel and Adam have more and more to discuss, keeping their disturbing questions secret from Mr. Salter, so as not to excite or alarm the old man, and fortunately, he often has business away from home. What is really going on between Caswell and Lilla? And who or what is Lady Arabella? Slowly, but surely Adam and Sir Nathaniel discover an underlying evil force within Mercia, and Adam vows to stop it. Critique Racism Stoker's novel is accused of being racist,The Lair of the White Worm: A Study Guide, by Jeffrey Somers 2018 especially with Pamela Colman Smith's appearance of Oolanga on page 148. However, most of the criticism is largely as a result of later editors who had inserted the word "nigger" in abridged versions published since 1925, thirteen years after Bram Stoker's death. Although Stoker does portray the West African character, Oolanga, as a hideous, evil savage, the other two major antagonists who are "white", are also equally portrayed as evil. The story does not single out the 'black man' as the bad guy. Stoker uses the strongest descriptions for all three antagonists, black and white, to convey to the readers that they are all villains in their own way.[http://www.cosmicdream.com/gutenberg/novels/lairwhiteworm.html Review of 1911 by Laughing Crow, 2015] Further, Stoker never uses the term 'nigger', but rather 'negro' in nine places of the original 324 page book. Jeffrey Somers Author Jeffery Somers, B.A. in English from Rutgers University, states in his [https://www.thoughtco.com/stokers-lair-of-the-white-worm-4174205 Study Guide]: "The White Worm is, in part, based on the legend of the Lambton Worm, which is in turn based on other, older legends of giant worms that herald the end of the world or other terrible fates." Somers poor analysis on what the "white worm" is and what the definition that Stoker's novel gives of the White Worm, gives '' Somer's study guide'' lack of credibility. Somer's analysis seems to rely more heavily on the 1925 abridgment, rather than having read or used sources that rely on Stoker's full 40 chapter story. The Somer's note on sexuality, concerning Stoker being called a "prude and pornographer at once" was from a commentator in 1996, and not by any contemporary of Stoker. Thus, Somer's critique of sexuality used in Stoker's novel is unwarranted, and appears to only exaggerate the alleged racism critiqued by Somers. References Category:Synopsis Category:Synopsis